The Krampus Before Christmas
by LotRia
Summary: Sequel to "A Krampus Christmas Carol". Three years after the first confrontation with the Winchesters, this fiendish holiday horror is back and out for revenge on our guys. Will a Christmas miracle save them this time? Includes kidnapped!hurt! Sam and protective!angsty! Dean.
1. Part 1

**The Krampus Before Christmas**

By **Ria**

**A/N:** Guess who's back… KRAMPUS! Still my favorite holiday monster to date. He's a little pissed over his last confrontation with the Winchesters and has some unfinished business with Sam. If you aren't familiar with A Krampus Christmas Carol, I suggest reading that first – I suppose it's not necessary but this story will make a helluva lot more sense if you do.

**FYI: **I AM still working on Fatal Attractions. It was put on hold so I could complete the holiday special and I will be getting back to it soon.

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**PART ONE**

J Winchester, Hunter's Journal

Entry Log 12/26/1999

Krampus - also known as Bartl/Bartel, Niglobartl, Wubartl, Pelzebock/Pelznickel, Gumphinckel, Krampusz, Schmutzli

Satyr-like holiday creature. Legend indicates the beast accompanies Saint Nicholas each year and punishes children for misbehaviour. Creature appears at the start of the Winter Solstice and is banished away by Santa Claus on his yearly ride Christmas Eve. Tortures or eats its victims – these activities seem to fuel its magic. Only targets children, child vs adult status based on current cultural beliefs and expectations in local society. Tends to appear in areas that are historically Germanic in origins and beliefs and targets children of families who may be aware of the myth's existence if not the real threat. Unknown if there are multiple beasts.

Physical Appearance:

Stands approx 9-10 feet tall, goat horns and hooves, covered in coarse dark fur, long tail with tuft of fur at the end, orange eyes with black swirls in the iris, wears worn/ragged clothing with a whip attached to its belt, carries a burgundy sack and roll of golden twigs

Powers: teleportation, speed, strength, numbing poison that wears off over time, mind reading with physical contact. Possible unknown abilities.

Encounters:

Northern Minnesota 1999: several Germanic communities. Historical patterns show Krampus's presence in this area going back decades, area vs victim ratio appears to have been widespread enough to not incite panic.

2000: the beast appears to have left Minnesota. No trace. Several reported cases of missing children during the Winter Solstice from Western North Carolina and Tennessee.

2001: no sightings or cases in Minnesota. Missing children reported in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

2002: predicting Missouri

Most Effective Way to Kill/Defeat:

No known method to kill. Some lore indicates the horn of a reindeer may be used to trap the creature in time, possibly a century. Theory only. No tested results. No instruction for how the antler is to be used.

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Southern Missouri December 2002

Obsession had been the driving force in John Winchester's life for nearly two decades; so his inability to let go of the Krampus case was certainly no surprise, especially since it concerned children. After discovering the true identity of this nasty holiday monster, he had made its death his number one priority for the following Decembers. Problem was, the beast had not returned to Minnesota. Even more disconcerting, it appeared to be following a pattern in recent years by hitting towns where the Winchesters had been within the few weeks leading up to the Solstice – almost like it was tracking the small hunter family.

John's thoughts were interrupted by a powerful slam of the bathroom door – not closing, but opening into the edge of the ceramic sink. Dean stepped out of the billowing steam, towel wrapped about his waist and chest glistening, as he grumpily rummaged through his duffel bag for clean clothes. He scowled briefly at John before disappearing back into the washroom to change.

The eldest Winchester let out an exasperated sigh. They had been camped out in Clinton, Missouri for three weeks now and John knew that Dean was frustrated with the length of their stay. Truthfully, John was as anxious as his son to get back on the road, but he couldn't cave to that urge now… not if he wanted to put an end to Krampus. He had been following the monster's movements for the past couple years and was confident it was tracking them. This year, they could bait and trap it; but that meant staying in one place for an extended period of time so their presence, scent, or whatever the Hell it was sensing would draw it here.

John hadn't told Dean why they were slumming around town yet. There hadn't been a need to. They had arrived for a hunt that took about a week and John had made the call for some rest and relaxation. With the Winter Solstice beginning tonight, maybe it was time to let his son in on the plan.

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The Impala glided over the slick pavement creating a constant white noise of whooshing water as its tires circled. As John concentrated on the road ahead, anxious to arrive at their destination, Dean sat in the passenger seat with a frustrated look to fuel his combative attitude – pissed over the crapload of honesty his father had just unloaded.

"What the Hell do you mean 'it's tracking us'? We've been going up to Minnesota every year to kick its ass."

"The reason it hasn't been in Minnesota is because it's been hitting each town we've stopped in during the couple weeks leading up to the Solstice. It's looking for us and this year it's going to find us, right here." John revealed.

Dean stared at his father angrily for withholding the information. His chest grew suddenly tight and he asked with concern, "What about Sammy?"

"What about him?" John's voice took on a cold tone, still feeling betrayed by his youngest's decision to abandon their small family.

"If this thing is hunting us and the kid has been sitting at Stanford for four months, isn't it just as likely to go after him? Did you even call to warn him?" Dean balked at his father's irresponsible attitude regarding Sam's safety.

"I'm not concerned about it. Based on the patterns I've been following, Krampus tends to keep a distance from densely populated areas. Like last year when we were in Raleigh it never got close to the city, just hit a couple distant suburbs and villages. Sam is in one of the most populated areas of the country. It won't even get near him."

Dean frowned, unconvinced by his father's confidence. There was always a chance when it came to the Winchesters and if any risk to Sammy was involved, they were always on the losing end. Removing his phone from his jacket, Dean flipped it open to dial. "We should still at least give him a heads up."

John reached over in a flash and confiscated the phone, slapping the device closed. "Sam wanted out and he's out. Leave it that way. Your brother will be fine. I need your focus with me right now Dean. Got it?"

Several moments of tense silence filled the air in the Impala before John spoke up again, this time with his demanding military tone. "Respond Dean. Is that affirmative?"

"Yes, sir." Dean commented dryly, defeated for the moment; but he _would_ find a way to get word to his brother.

"Good. Let's go set and bait our first snare."

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Orange glowing eyes surveyed the scene, scanning the hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights dotting from the roads below and fanning out to the horizon. Unaccustomed to the more populated areas of the world, the sight was unfamiliar and a bit daunting when he contemplated how to carry out his task in secrecy. A warm breeze filtered through the trees causing the beast to shift uneasily. This climate was a drastic difference from his normal stalking grounds, but the reward would be worth the discomfort. He sucked in a deep breath, verifying he was indeed in the right place. His prey was here and vengeance would be his – it was past time he finished what was started three years ago.

**TBC…**

**Thanks for reading and please review. *HUGS***


	2. Part 2

**The Krampus Before Christmas**

By **Ria**

**A/N:** Happy Birthday to me and here's a gift for all of you, an early posting of chapter 2! And yes, I've made John out to be kind of an ass; but that's just how stressed I perceive his and Sam's relationship at this time in their lives.

**Beaignu** is my awesome beta for this tale.

**THANK YOU FOR REVIEWS**: sammysmissingshoe, reannablue, Autobot-of-Music, Sphinxius, mb64, SPN Mum

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**PART TWO**

Dean crouched low at the base of a tree shivering uncontrollably and feeling quite unprepared for the elements. Of course, had Dad told him they'd be spending the night in a frigid forest _before_ leaving the motel, he could have dressed accordingly. Honestly, it was times like this he couldn't blame Sammy for wanting to leave.

The unnerving recording his father had taken pre-hunt played on a loop, echoing eerily through the bare trees. He wasn't sure when or how John obtained the track, but whatever kid had thrown that tantrum was well beyond a spoiled asshole.

Glancing at his watch again, Dean sighed. It was just past midnight. He fiddled with the phone in his pocket. John was across the glade… maybe he could get through to Sam real quick without his father knowing.

John stood against the thick trunk of an Ash tree on high alert for any movement or sounds. He also listened by earbud for any communication over the small police scanner clipped to his belt, but all was quiet. He caught the small flash of light across the glade before it was concealed — Dean must have opened his phone. John pulled out his own, ready to answer the call. He was met with several minutes of silence.

Watching the opposite line of trees, he saw the small flash again before it was gone, knowing instantly what his son was up to. Unable to let go of his over protectiveness for Sam, Dean was obviously trying to get a message to the kid about the potential threat. John shook his head, disappointed that his oldest was disobeying a direct order. Why couldn't he just accept that Sam was out of the game and safe?

Another quiet hour passed and John decided to call it a night. Based on the past cases he had researched, Krampus wasn't much for the early morning hours, preferring to pick up his victims earlier in the night.

"Dean." John called softly, knowing his son would hear him. They both moved quickly to the center of the glade. John switched off the tape and the surrounding area fell quiet.

Dean scoffed at the child sized scarecrow they had planted, just as he had when his father first put it up before dusk. "You do realize how stupid that thing is right? What makes you think it will even fool the beast?"

"We just have to lure it into the area Dean."

"Because the best place to look for a bratty kid is out in the woods in the middle of the night, unsupervised." Dean commented sarcastically.

"I seem to remember you spending many unsupervised nights in the woods during your teen years… and cut the insolent tone." John paused before continuing. "Your brother answer?"

Dean gaped for a moment, not realizing he had been caught making the call. No point denying it now, "No. I left him a message."

John huffed. "Sounds about right. He left us Dean. He got his normal life and it doesn't include his family."

Dean looked hurt by the words, but to John it was just the reality of the situation.

"Let's get back to the car. I'd like to get some sleep in a warm bed before another night of this tomorrow." John said, effectively ending the conversation and any argument Dean could have produced to defend Sam's decision.

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"No thanks Brady, I'm just gonna stay in tonight." Sam refused politely, ready for the persuasive badgering that was sure to follow.

_"__You're kidding man. Finals just ended, we gotta celebrate. Whoop." _Was the slightly slurred response from the other end of the phone line.

"I'd rather catch up on sleep now that I don't have to study." Sam responded, listening to the commotion in the background. He had no doubt his roommate had wormed his way into some bar that didn't bothered to check his ID at the door.

_"__Oh come on. That cute chick is here — the one from Lit class with the blonde hair and bangin' curves."_

"Her name is Jess." Sam corrected, slightly offended by how disrespectful Brady's description of the girl was.

_"__It sure is and she's been asking about you my friend."_

"Right…" Sam rolled his eyes, not believing a word — that girl was way out of his league.

_"__Seriously, you wanna get laid, tonight's the night."_

"Have fun man. Try not to make too much noise when you get in later." Yawning from exhaustion, Sam ended the call before Brady could continue prodding. He was a friendly drunk; but Sam just wasn't in the mood to sit in the middle of a chaotic crowd and try to keep up pointless conversations that wouldn't be remembered in the morning.

Sam stood from the couch in their tiny living area and stretched before moving into the kitchen. The apartment housing was provided by the school, and thankfully included with Sam's full scholarship. It wasn't large but it was a great change of pace from having to spend all his time in cramped motel rooms. At least here he had his own room and, without having to constantly take orders, Sam finally found the freedom to pursue what he wanted from life.

_If you walk out that door, don't you ever come back._ John's last order reverberated in Sam's mind every day. The emotional distress and post-fallout headache the words always brought were best curbed with a heavy dose of Tylenol and a solid 8 hours of sleep… which is just what Sam had in mind for tonight.

Chasing his pills with a glass of tap water, Sam glanced over at the dark window with a look of longing. He missed his family — he really did — but he didn't have it in him to spend the rest of his life hunting, living off greasy take out, and hopping from one seedy motel to another every few nights. He wanted a chance to live a normal, responsible life — have a steady income and start a family of his own. Sam couldn't go back, but that didn't mean he wanted to be banished from his father and brother.

Most of all, he wanted to talk to Dean. Sam knew how John felt about his decision to leave for college — his father's rage was the only true emotion he had heard the elder Winchester expressly vocalize in years — but he had no clue what Dean's thoughts were. His brother had been shocked by the announcement and was clearly distraught that Sam was leaving. The youngest Winchester was out the door before he could even consider trying to mend Dean's thoughts about the decision. He hadn't heard from his family since.

Sam shrugged off his feelings of displacement. This is where home was now. He thought back to Brady's comment about Jess asking for him, hoping it was true. She was gorgeous and smart with a friendly personality. He hoped they would have another course together next semester so he could get to know her better — perhaps ask her out for coffee or something.

**TBC…**

**Thanks for reading and please review. *HUGS***


	3. Part 3

**The Krampus Before Christmas**

By **Ria**

**A/N:** Hey all! Not much to say here… so I'll just get on with the story.

**Beaignu** is my awesome beta for this tale.

**THANKS FOR REVIEWS: **Hacked It Out and Fell, Autobot-of-Music, sammysmissingshoe, weirdiam, Trucklady53, Sphinxius, SuperVikinggirl, SPN Mum, mb64, zekeschance

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**PART THREE**

Krampus peered around the silent apartment. His eyes pierced through all the shadows in the room, allowing him to see every detail a mortal eye would see in the daylight. His magical senses were still locked onto Sam's essence, even after three years; and he could feel the young man slumbering behind the closed door. Krampus grinned in delight of how easy it was going to be to pluck the youngest Winchester from his bed.

The apartment door flung open unexpectedly, causing Krampus to jerk around and meet the intruder. A shorter, human-ish figure stumbled in from the dimly lit hallway and made an over exaggerated motion to close the door _quietly_. The beast held still, relying on the shadows for concealment.

Brady glanced around the room from within his warm hoodie and caught the fuzzy outline of a tall form in front of Sam's door. "Oh, I see how it is. You'll stay up all night alone, but you're too good to party with your best pal." He slurred, mistaking the monster for his roommate as he reached for the light switch.

The room illuminated and Brady's eyes lit up with surprise, suddenly wishing he'd left the electricity off as he stared at the beast in pure terror. At the smallest movement of a hoofed foot, Brady shouted "Stay away," and jumped back, clumsily bumping the lamp on the table next to him.

Before the human could make any more noise and alert his sleeping prey in the adjacent room, Krampus used his teleportation to appear next to Brady. This time, the young man's arm swung back into the lamp, knocking it to the floor. As if the shattering glass wouldn't have been loud enough, Brady also called out to Sam, trying to warn his friend of the danger. The monster swiftly took hold of the human's head and slammed him against the table's edge. Within seconds Brady was out cold, joining the destroyed lamp base on the floor as a steady trail of blood leaked from a cut at his temple.

"Brady, you back?" Sam's tired voice called from behind his bedroom door.

Krampus cursed his luck. He wanted to kill the human at his feet for blowing his covert mission, but getting his revenge on the Winchesters would be a much sweeter reward than taking the life of this young man. He needed to act quickly or there may not be another opportunity. The monster flipped out the light before fading back into the shadows.

Sam opened his door and yawned tiredly, not overly thrilled at having been woken. In the low lighting, he could just make out the still form on the floor next to the lamp shade. _Great, this guy's as bad as a teenage Dean._ Sam thought to himself while turning around to go back in his room and grab the first aid kit just in case.

He wasn't expecting the massive hand that gripped his throat tightly, his assailant's muscles powerful enough to lift his feet from the floor. His world spun for a moment as Sam's brain tried to make sense of what was happening. With his room still dark, he couldn't make out any features of the monster aside from the glowing orange eyes that he now found himself face to face with; but there was no mistaking his attacker's identity — he'd only seen those eyes once before and they were permanently engraved in his nightmares.

Sam's hands clamped on to Krampus's wrists, struggling to loosen the grip; but his cling to consciousness was tenuous at best as his lungs started to ache from the loss of oxygen. Blackness was edging at the corners of his vision; and he knew this wasn't a battle he would win alone. Horror sunk in when he realized that he truly was alone — his brother and father wouldn't be coming to his rescue this time.

Krampus smiled wickedly as he watch Sam's eyes roll back before closing completely, his struggles weakening drastically before his body finally went limp. The beast hadn't expected the kid he had snagged several years ago to have grown quite so tall and knew from the moment Sam had walked out of his room, the oversized sack folded against his belt would not be large enough for the young man's frame.

Anxious to get back to his hideaway outside the city limits, Krampus used his super-human strength to heft Sam up over his shoulder and focused on teleporting to a shadowed spot in an alley a few blocks from the cozy apartment. The monster phased out of the room, but Sam's body did not and listlessly fell to the floor with a loud thud.

A minute later, Krampus's form reappeared in the room. The beast grumbled to itself angrily, having realized the mistake too late. His magic was meant to work on children and on the rare occasions he had confronted adults, some of his powers were irritatingly uncooperative.

He got Sam up from the ground and hoisted into a fireman's carry before swiftly crossing over to the cracked window. He clumsily pulled both their bodies through the open frame and into the chilly air, hooves slipping precariously on the metal grate flooring of the building's fire escape. Krampus grunted in aggravation over the inconvenience of mortal travel as he bumbled his way down the steps, constantly reminding himself that the revenge would be worth the hassle.

Back in the apartment, the blue screen of Sam's discarded cell phone momentarily lit up the dark room as it vibrated a few times before going still — a single letter 'D' appearing next to the missed call notification.

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"Dean." His father snapped grumpily, voice slightly muffled from beneath the thick motel comforter, "Answer your damn phone."

The younger hunter startled awake at the sound of his name, his sleepy mind just grasping the following order. Odd, he hadn't even heard the ringtone. 'Smoke on the Water' had just finished it's final loop as he stretched an arm out to grab the device. He glanced at the clock before determining the time was definitely too early for this shit… until he caught a glimpse at the name on the caller id and his heart jumped. Better to take this outside.

Dean tossed on a shirt and slipped out the door into the parking lot. The sun had just risen and created a sparkling effect against the gravel around the Impala, causing Dean to shield his pupils from the sudden brightness. The air was cool, but not unbearably so; and he wasn't anticipating the conversation would take long.

He hit redial and the line immediately connected. "Sam?" Dean asked, anxious to hear his brother's voice and know he was safe. Unfortunately, that's not what followed.

_"__Hey, is this Dean? Sam's brother? I didn't see your name in Sam's contacts but figured it might be this letter 'D' he's got in here."_

"Yea, this is him. Who the Hell are you and why are you on my brother's phone?"

_"__I'm Sam's roommate, Tyson Brady."_

"Your name is Tyson… like the chicken?" Dean quirked an eyebrow and smirked, highly amused.

_"__Uh, yea. Just call me Brady though." _The kid stuttered back_, "Look, I wasn't sure who else to call and Sam talks about you a lot. I think he might be in trouble."_

"What kind of trouble exactly?" Dean demanded, immediately on alert.

_"__Someone — er, something — broke in to our apartment last night. I was knocked out, but when I came to, Sam was gone. I've called all our friends and no one has heard from him. The campus police stopped in but they aren't gonna be much help - wouldn't even file a report. Lack of evidence they said. And from what I do remember from last night, I wouldn't believe me either. I keep going over my statement in my head and all I can think is how plowed I musta been to have imagined it." _Brady's words tumbled out rushed with hardly a breath.

Although Dean already suspected what had happened, he needed to hear it. "Tell me what you saw, every detail you can remember. I know the cops won't believe you, but I will." Dean added in a serious tone that pressed for an honest answer.

Bady obliged, _"I got home sometime after midnight and there was someone standing outside Sam's door. At first, I thought it was him; but then, I turned on the light. I was wrong. This thing was huge… like something out of greek mythology with orange eyes, horns, and hooves. It moved so fast and then I crashed into the table I think. Everything went dark after that. Woke up real early this morning, before dawn, with a gash on my head and Sam was just gone. His phone was on the floor next to me so I figure it got knocked down with the lamp. There's this black powder on the floor, like ash."_

Dean knew he was missing pieces of the story in Brady's rambling; but he had enough detail to confirm his fears from yesterday were well founded. Krampus had gone after his brother. "Brady, listen to me. I'm heading to California now but it's unlikely I'll be there until tomorrow. Leave the police out of this. They won't be able to help. Make sure you lock the apartment up tonight and if anything else happens, call me immediately. Keep Sam's phone close, I'll call when I'm in town."

_"__I will." _Brady paused before continuing shakily, _"You think it might come back… for me?"_

"I would say it's unlikely unless you did something to really piss it off." Dean answered before ending the call and flipping the phone closed. He needed to get on the road and that meant getting in and out of the motel room with his duffel, undetected.

The thought of waking his father and informing him about the situation had, of course, crossed Dean's mind; but he thought better of it. John had very clearly expressed his lack of concern for Sam's safety the previous day and Dean wasn't taking any chance that he would be ordered not to go to his brother's aid. He also couldn't emotionally stomach the idea that his father's refusal to help Sam might be a realistic response. The impending discussion — more likely argument — would only take further time that Sammy may not have to spare.

Within minutes, the Impala was rumbling down Route 16 Westbound, away from the town of Canton and toward Palo Alto.

**TBC…**

**Thanks for reading and please review. *HUGS***


	4. Part 4

**The Krampus Before Christmas**

By **Ria**

**A/N: **True to my usual m.o., here's the hurt!Sam. **WARNING**: This chapter is not so light-hearted and gets a bit dark. If you're squeamish about subjects like cannibalism, you may not be okay reading this part.

**Beaignu** is my awesome beta for this tale.

**THANKS** **FOR** **REVIEWS**: 13 Is A Lucky Number, sammysmissingshoe, mb64, SPN Mum, reannablue, Sphinxius, KKBELVIS, Ciel Tombe, Autobot-of-Music, weirdiam, cammie, Kas3y

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**PART FOUR**

Sam's world had narrowed to a kaleidoscope of anger and guilt as painful, repressed memories assaulted his subconscious. He would have thought the attack was just a montage nightmare if not for the sequential order of events and the sensation of an outer force pulling the information from his mind. After hours of having to relive all his worst arguments with Dean and Dad, Sam was definitely ready for the release from consciousness when it came.

What must have been hours later, Sam returned to the waking world, groaning in discomfort. The air was much colder than he would have expected for Cali and although he was unable to see through the inky blackness surrounding him, the earthy smell lead Sam to believe he was underground — possibly a cave or mine shaft. The occasional drafts confirmed his suspicion that some of his clothes had been stripped — t-shirt and sweat pants definitely missing. He stilled, listening for any sign of life in the enclosed space but could only hear his own harsh breathing and the slight clinking of metal anytime he tried to move.

He felt overly stretched, all his weight centered on his shoulders and arms pulled above his head. As uncomfortable as it was, the rest of his muscles felt dead and refused to obey any attempts to move. Sam hung there feeling helpless, attempting to keep quiet. He knew what waited in the darkness — it was a monster he'd confronted before — and was not anxious to face the threat again.

More time passed and nothing happened. Eventually, daylight must have broke over the horizon because his vision started coming back as light filtered into the space. Sam knew from the research he'd done their last encounter that the beast wouldn't return during daylight hours and allowed himself to drift into a fitful sleep, hoping he could recoup some energy to resist whatever Krampus had in store for him the following night.

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The next time Sam woke, he was in a world of physical agony and the shooting pains weren't just from his over-stretched limbs. His body immediately jerked away at a pinching and slicing sensation along his side; but as soon as he did, the chains coiled around his arms and legs tightened until the movement stopped. His skin burned and itched with a ferocity that surprised him but he was unable to comprehend why in those initial moments.

Unable to resist his curiosity any longer, Sam boldly opened his eyes to face a demon he never thought he'd see again. Life just wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to be happening, he was out of hunting.

Krampus grinned back at the young man maliciously before raking his nails over Sam's exposed abdomen. The jagged edges slashed and poked through his skin, causing rivulets of blood to trickle down into a large cauldron the former hunter had been suspended over. The creature took great joy as Sam tried to twist away again only to scrunch his face in pain when the chains magically constricted, keeping him locked in place.

The beast continued with the torture until most of his captive's skin was stained red, scratches and puncture wounds speckled over the young man's upper body and legs. When Krampus was satisfied with the amount of free-flowing blood, he snapped his fingers, releasing the power holding Sam in the air. The chains stayed tight around the young man's limbs as his body dropped into the massive pot below with a loud splash.

The water was warm, definitely not scalding as Sam had expected and almost soothing against his abused skin. The small fire below must have been ignited just before he woke up. The liquid dispersed the blood from Sam's wounds, turning the cauldron's contents a horrifying shade of crimson.

Sam attempted to twist away when Krampus reached into the vat for him; but there wasn't enough room to move and the creature seized his neck tightly. It hoisted Sam from the twisted broth and discarded him on the floor next to the cauldron. The roasting fire flared up brightly and the former hunter just managed to roll clear without being burned. His action caused dirt to cling at the water droplets on his skin, coating him with crusty patches of mud.

Laying completely still, Sam's muscles tensed as he waited for the creature to advance on him, but no attack came. Instead, Krampus turned his back to the young man, focusing on a table behind the cauldron. For the first time, Sam noticed the bulging sack that had been resting there and swallowed hard, remembering being trussed up in the filthy smelling burlap.

There was a rustling noise as Krampus removed the sack's contents; and even though the beast's massive frame blocked most of what it was doing from view, Sam stared horrified, knowing exactly what was going to happen and powerless to stop it. As though sensing the young man's thoughts, the monster shot him a mocking grin before whirling around to give Sam a full view of its prey.

The little girl couldn't have been more than eight years old, her eyes large and round, filled with fear as a constant stream of tears flowed down her cheeks. Her body jerked as she tried to struggle against the beast's hand which held her suspended by her long blonde locks. Her mouth moved as though screaming but no sound came out, her vocal cords having been numbed by poison just as Sam's were several years earlier.

For the first time in nearly 24 hours, Sam found his voice. "No. NO!" He shouted, desperately pleading with the beast. "Leave her alone. Take me. Please take me instead."

The child's eyes fixated on Sam. Even at her young age, she was able to recognize her only chance for survival. She continued to tremble but stopped struggling, hoping this stranger could rescue her.

Krampus focused his cold, emotionless eyes onto Sam, but did not utter a word. Ultimately, the beast would kill and consume the youngest Winchester, but the man's essence would not sustain the monster's magic. Only the souls of disobedient children would keep his power strong.

With a feral sneer, the beast threw the girl into the now boiling blood broth in the cauldron.

"NOOOO!" Sam screamed, attempting to free himself from the chains once again — he had to get to the girl before it was too late. The chains constricted once more, immobilizing his limbs; but he continued to fight them, grinding his ripped and swollen skin into the dirt floor. Above the splashing of liquid, he could hear Krampus's nasally, victorious laugh.

The child couldn't make a peep as the scalding water seared her entire body. She jerked and spasmed against the heat, causing the red-stained water to to slosh over the rim of the vat, but there was no escaping. Within minutes, her skin turned the same shade as the water she was submerged in and all movement ceased.

Sam watched through blurry eyes as the beast picked up a large wooden spoon to stir his sinister soup. Tears tracked over the young man's dirt-covered face as he panted heavily, trying to keep from retching. The silence was evidence enough that the child was dead and Sam's heart was heavy with guilt — he couldn't save her. This was his fault. If not for him, the monster wouldn't even be in Palo Alto; and if he had kept up with his hunter training, he could have stopped the beast back in his apartment. His father's disappointment had not been misplaced - Sam was a failure and a disappointment.

***** SPN SPN SPN SPN *****

Dean sat in the driver's seat of the Impala, head pressed into the steering wheel in frustration as his outstretched hand kept a crushing grip on the golden twig he'd found on Sam's bed. He turned his head to the passenger seat, glancing at the chaotic mess of maps he'd 'borrowed' from the local library. Although Brady had been present during the attack, he didn't have much information beyond the moment he fell unconscious, certainly nothing that would help Dean determine Sam's current location. The area maps were useful and helped him narrow down a few potential locations where the beast could be holed up with his brother — mostly surrounding forests and low population density areas.

He thought about the reindeer antler he had tucked away in the back seat and how unconfident he felt about its ability to take out Krampus. Dean knew from the conversation with his father the other night that there was no solid supporting evidence the thing would even work to trap the beast. With Sam's life hanging in the balance, there was no way the older brother could be comfortable with _maybe_. He looked hesitantly at the phone for the tenth time within the last half hour.

Dean closed his eyes as their last encounter with Krampus flashed through his mind — Sam over that bubbling cauldron with a look of sheer terror plastered on his face. There was no way in Hell the kid was going through that again, not if Dean could prevent it. Mind made up, Dean grabbed the phone and was dialing out without another thought.

_"__Singer."_ The voice on the other line introduced.

"Bobby, it's Dean. Please don't hang up." Dean requested, sounding positively forlorn. Bobby was the only person he could reach out to aside from his father but wasn't positive his friend would help this time. Even though John's argument with the older hunter had been years prior, Dean wasn't sure if time had mended any feelings.

_"__I ain't gonna hang up on ya son, but let me guess… your father is being an idgit and you need me to pull his ass outta the fire?"_

"Uh no. This isn't about Dad." Dean answered. "It's Sam."

_"__Sam? He's still at school ain't he?" _

"You knew? You've had contact with him?" Dean asked in disbelief, feeling hurt that Sam had spoken to Bobby but not himself.

_"__Yep. He called me on the way to Stanford. Wanted to keep me in the loop about what happened." _Bobby advised before continuing, _"Guess yer daddy decided to be a real asshole about it. Poor kid was so miserable 'bout the fight. Didn't feel like he had a home anymore. I told him he's welcome here anytime."_

Dean was silent for a moment, glad his brother had at least reached out to someone he trusted. "Well, I'm in Palo Alto now. Sam's roommate called to tell me he's missing." He paused, listening to Bobby curse. "You know anything about Krampus Bobby? That's what took him."

_"__Course I do. Doesn't yer dad?"_

"He knew a few things, but nothing I'm confident about. He's not here either. Didn't think Sam would be in danger even though the beast nearly killed the kid the last time we confronted it about three years ago." Dean responded, his tone turning angry over his father's attitude.

_"__Balls." _Bobby swore. Of all the irresponsible jackass decisions John Winchester had made with those boys, this had to be one of the worst. _"Okay Son. We got this. Listen up, here's what you're gonna do..."_

**TBC…**

**Thanks for reading and please review. *HUGS***


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